Game-board.



c. B. SIGLER.

GAME BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY21,1911.

lgggyf Patented June 4,1918.

NETE@ STATES PATENT @FFQE CHARLES B. SIG'IER, OF KNIG-I-ITSTOWN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HARRY E. JOHNSON, 0F KNIGI-ITSTOWN, INDIANA.

GAME-BOARD.

Specication of Letters Patent.v

Patented J une e, 1918.

Application filed May 21, 1917. Serial No. 169,985.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. SIGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knightstown, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Game-Board, of which the following is a specication.

The present invention relates to a game board, and aims to provide a novel and improved amusement device of that character for the playing of an interesting game, wherein disks, or other elements, are moved -(the moves being determined by shaking dice, or the like), and means being provided whereby when false moves are made at certain points, or the disks brought into contact at such points, a signal will be given, thereby imposing penalties or'stopping the lay, according to suitable rules of play, w ich may vary.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of a game board for playing a submarine warfare game, the board having danger zones and mined harbors in which the disks, lrepresenting ships, such as passenger and merchant vessels, submarines, and submarine chasers, battleships, and the like, by making false moves or in contacting one another at certain points, will result in a signal being given, indicating the blowing up of the ship or the sinking thereof, either by mine, torpedo, or collision, determined by suitable rules of play.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of a game board of the nature indicated provided with electrical contacts and conductors so arranged that the disks in being moved to certain points will close an electrical circuit whereby to light a signal lamp, operate a buzzer, or provide any other suitable signal.

The game is also improved by the provision of disks or movable elements, some of which will close the circuit by contact with other disks only, and the others of which will close the circuit both by contact with other disks and by false movements at certain points of the board. Thus, the iirst class of disks can represent submarine chasers, or similar vessels, which are immune to attack by vsubmarines or which cannot be torpedoed, while the latter class of disks can be taken to represent passenger or merchant vessels, warships, and the like, which are good'targets for submarines, Any two disks in contacting at certain points of the board will, however, close the electrical circuit, whereas the first class of disks can move in perfect safety, without closing the circuit, unless they contact with other disks at certain points of the board. The board is provided with false contacts, together with live ones, to confuse the' players, and to render the eXact points of danger uncertain. Thus, the disks can move from point to point along certain lines in safety, but by making false moves, will give the signal and, furthermore, the disks can contact at certain points without operating the signal, while when they contact at other points the signal will be given.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it beingA understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan view of the game board, howing the electrical conductors in dotted mes.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of the board and two disks.

F ig. 3 is a perspective view showing a chance device which may be used in the playing of the game.

The board may be of any suitable construction, and as illustrated, embodies the marginal strips 1 secured to the edges of a plate 2, which is preferably square in outline, although the board may be of any suitable shape. Seated upon the plate 2 is a sheet 3 of cardboard or other suitable insulating material, the plate 2 being of wood or other nonconducting substance, so as not to conduct electrical energy. It is on the sheet or field 3 that the disks or other elements are moved, according to prescribed rules, the

sheet or field being laid off as will pres- 105 ently appear.

The sheet 3 has printed or otherwise provided thereon lines and other markings, providing the spaces 4:, 5, 6 and 7, preferably located at the four sides of the board intermediate the corners, and these Spas are can be destroyed by collision or contact with another ship, represented by the disk 31, and being either a warship or a passenger or merchant vessel. The latter is subject to destruction by a torpedo or mine in moving from place to place at certain points.

The playing of the game is determined by suitable rules and by the use of a chance device such as dice 50, the disks ibeing moved around the board through the danger zones or ields from the starting spaces or harbors to the respective home spaces or harbors for which they are bound. The disks can be moved successfully around the board in irregular lines, without operating the signal, and may pass other disks by contact therewith at certain points, Whereas when a disk is moved falsely or contacts with another disk at certain points the signal will be operated, thereby indicating the destruction of the ship. The rules as to the destruction of the ships may vary, as in case of collision, one ship may be considered as being destroyed, while the other may be safe. The.

disks of the several players can have distinguishing characteristics, as well as the disks of each set representing submarine chasers and other ships, respectively. From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it is believed that the utility of the game board as an amusement device will be readily understood, without specifying any particular set of rules of play.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A game board having a danger zone, elements movable on the board, and means for providing a signal when said elements touch each other at certain points in the danger zone.

2. A game board having a danger zone, elements movable on the board, and means for providing a signal when said elements make false moves or contact at certain points in the danger zone.

3. A game board having a danger zone divided into squares, elements movable on the board from square to square, and touching each other when occupying adjoinin squares, and means for providing a signa when said elements contact at certain points in the danger zone.

4f. A game board having a danger zone and electrical contacts in said zone, an electrical circuit including a signal connected to said contacts, and an element movable on the board to bridge said contacts when being moved from place to place in said danger zone, and to close the circuit at certain points.

5. A game board having a danger zone and electrical contacts in said zone, an electrical circuit connected to said contacts and including a signal, and elements movable on the board and adapted to touch each other when disposed over adjoining contacts, the electrical connections being such that when said elements touch at certain points of the board, the circuit is closed.

6. A game board having a danger zone and electrical contacts therein, an electrical circuit connected to said contacts and including a signal, and elements movable on the board, some being adapted to electrically bridge the contacts and close the circuit at certain points, while the others are of such construction as not to electrically bridge the contacts, the elements when in contact above certain of said contacts serving to close the circuit.

7. A game board having a danger zone divided into squares, electrical contacts in said squares, an electrical circuit connected to said contacts, and including a signal, and an element movable on the board from square to square and adapted to bridge the contacts in moving from one square to another to close the circuit at certain points in the danger zone.

8. A game board having a danger zone divided into squares, contacts in said squares, an electrical circuit connected to said contacts, and including a signal, and elements movable on the board and of a size to contact when occupying adjacent squares to close the circuit at certain points in the danger zone.

9. A game board having a danger zone divided into squares, contacts in said squares, an electrical circuit connected to said contacts, and including a signal, and elements movable on the board and of a size tocontact when occupying adjacent squares to close the circuit at certain points in the danger zone, some of the elements being adapted to electrically bridge the contacts in moving from one square to another, and the others being so constructed as not to electrically bridge the contacts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES B. SIGLER.

Witnesses HARRY C. JAMES, CHARLES M. Risk.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. G. 

